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High school math reform and the role of policy, practice and instructional leadership on math achievement: a case study of White Oak Tree High School

HIGH SCHOOL MATH REFORM AND THE ROLE OF POLICY, PRACTICE
AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP ON MATH ACHIEVEMENT: A CASE
STUDY OF WHITE OAK TREE HIGH SCHOOL
by
Jennifer Denise Smith
___________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOURTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2007
Copyright 2007 Jennifer Denise Smith

Poor student mathematics achievement in American public schools, as determined by national and international rankings in math has resulted in tremendous public and political pressure to reform our public educational systems. Current federal and state accountability policies and systems have been focused on this issue consistently for almost the last two decades. A plethora of school reforms have been scattered across the public education landscape in response to the myriad needs of our students and stakeholders. However, despite heroic efforts and financial maneuvers, student achievement wanes and the gaps persist between white and Asian students and students of color. The new paradigm of school management, instructional leadership, has dominated the conversations and several configurations of school designs, curriculum and instructional modifications have been pursued with the goal of finding just the right recipe for student success. The purpose of this study is to examine the conditions that fostered mathematics achievement at one high school. Specifically the study examines school design, school and classroom policies, conditions and best practices that enabled the improvement in student achievement, and the role of the instructional leader in shaping and directing the reform efforts in improving student achievement in mathematics. The study also aimed to increase our understanding of how instructional leadership impacted the creation of a culture for mathematics achievement when the instructional leaders lacked strong, pedagogical in mathematics as a subject area.

HIGH SCHOOL MATH REFORM AND THE ROLE OF POLICY, PRACTICE
AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP ON MATH ACHIEVEMENT: A CASE
STUDY OF WHITE OAK TREE HIGH SCHOOL
by
Jennifer Denise Smith
___________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOURTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2007
Copyright 2007 Jennifer Denise Smith